......but what to wear?!!

[slugger_2003]

Hi all,

Any recomendations on what to wear en route to work? Water proof or shower proof? What's the actual difference? Should I consider wind proof clothing in the equation?
Should I be layering clothes?

I think you get the picture...any recommendatons with justifaction appreciated.

 

[HJ]

Depends on how far and how fast, really. Waterproof is as it says, waterproof and unless very expensive tends to be hot and sweaty in summer. Shower proof is good for summer, if fast drying. Layer give flexibility.

 

[Hugo15]

Think my best bits of kit are as follows;

- arm warmers/knee warmers/let warmers. Good for keeping you warm on a chilly morning commute but don't take up any room in the backpack on the way home.

- Gillet. Probably my best bit of kit. Keeps the wind out without you over heating. Mine has a mesh back to let the heat out. Good for layering too. When it is cold I have a long sleeve jersey that I wear with my gillet over the top. If it gets too warm I just stick the gillet in my backpack. Again, it takes very little room.

 

[BentMikey]

Don't try to keep dry, just make sure you stay warm. The former is not possible unless you have a very very short commute, and the second will ensure you enjoy your ride.

 

[slugger_2003]

How far...Well walking to work takes about 25/30 minutes so based on 2 mph average walking speed it's only about a mile so relatively short distance to bike. How fast...not very, I'm pretty unfit, hence the motivation to start cycling to work
Arm/knee/leg warmers? Where would you purchase them and any recommendations for them?
What's a gillet? Type of jacket? Any advice where to get one/what to look for when considering purchasing one?

 

[BentMikey]

OK, that's a really short commute! Rainwear over normal clothes would probably work just fine for that. I suspect most of us were thinking a 5-10 mile ride one way, and then rainwear leaves you just as wet, only from sweat rather than the rain.

As good as arm/knee/leg warmers are, they are lycra and OTT for such a short ride. A gilet (sleeveless jacket) is also very good, I use the same setup myself a lot.

 

[slugger_2003]

Nah, maximum 2 miles away. Want to use the bike for uni too which is about the same distance away.
So you reckon a thermal base layer with a flourescent jacket would do the job?

 

[BentMikey]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with either of those for such a short commute. Normal clothes innit.

 

[HJ]

For that distance, just wear normal clothes, get a hi-viz cycle jacket if you feel you need one...

 

[Twenty Inch]

Unless Lycra IS your normal choice of wear. Don't bother. Extra expense and hassle. You don't even need a trouserclip - just roll your right trouserleg up.

 

[soulful dog]

I bought one of the cheap Crane cycling jackets from Aldi (a tenner I think they were?), and I think that would possibly be a reasonable compromise for a short commute? It's not going to keep you dry if it buckets down, but it's useful for light rain and doesn't take up much space in your bag.

I suspect most of us were thinking a 5-10 mile ride one way, and then rainwear leaves you just as wet, only from sweat rather than the rain.

Sorry to butt in on the thread but this has made me think about a purchase I was contemplating. I have a 10 mile round trip I am trying to do as often as possible on my bike. It's not really suitable to dry off inbetween as I'm only there for an hour and so I have been thinking about getting a better waterproof jacket to wear once the summer is over.

Should I bother or should I just use layers underneath my showerproof crane jacket?

I don't want to waste money on buying something I don't really need as I;m not a commuter out every day, but I'd been looking at the following on wiggle:

Altura Nevis
Altura Night Vision
dhb Amberley

 

[summerdays]

I think that depends on yourself. My hubby works on the principle that he would rather not wear waterproofs and dry naturally. That works if its not cold and not really wet. If you have to stand around in wet gear for an hour then I would say wear a waterproof which is what I do most of the time, as I don't sweat buckets and hate standing around soaking wet.

I have the Night Vision coat and like the side vents which are never closed even in winter so I might contemplate a gillet soon.

 

[Arch]

For two miles, I'd also say stick with normal clothes for now. Have a waterproof coat for when it rains and if you tend to wear jeans or other trousers that take a while to dry, think about a pair of Rainlegs, which keep the thighs dry but aren't too hot and stuffy.

Once you get fitter, and start to like cycling, then you can extend your rides and start investing in more specific clothes, although you can still manage without a whole load of special stuff - I mostly cycle in ordianry tee-shirts and so on...